


out of the night

by byunderella



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coraline Fusion, Coraline AU, M/M, but theres romance and mystery-ish and all that good stuff, chamhwi, doesnt completely follow the original plot of the movie but its pretty close, dongpaca appear briefly, halloween fic, i am here to help with the drought, i love chamhwi so much dont touch me they're so precious, o dont really know how to tag this genre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 12:14:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12581676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byunderella/pseuds/byunderella
Summary: Woojin is tired of the muted greys in the real world, so when he's beckoned by the violet light emitting from the secret door in his closet and stumbles upon the vibrant hues of a dream-like world, he's not sure he wants to leave. The only thing is, he's already grown attached to his pink-haired neighbor in both worlds, and along the way, he's stuck with the ultimatum of giving up one for the other.





	out of the night

**Author's Note:**

> for halloween and also for woojin's birthday which is tomorrow!!
> 
> i don't own the plot of Coraline, this story is just based off of it.

 

 

 

It’s pink.

 

It should be charming; it should be every kind of inviting that pink should be. But the paint is chipped and there’s one too many broken floor boards. It’s not like he’s in any position to complain because at least it’s a _house_ , Woojin just wishes it was a slightly more.. refined.

 

“Mom, not to be ungrateful or anything, but I feel like I might end up stumbling into a ghost here.” Woojin admits, repeatedly stepping on a squeaky floorboard to prove his point.

 

“Oh honey it’s fine. You know our financial circumstances don’t grant us anything better. You’ll get used to it soon enough!” His mother reassures him, though even she seems apprehensive as the chair she sets one of the boxes on falls over with a broken leg. “We’ll uh, get your dad to fix that..” 

 

Woojin tilts his head, giving her a pointed look. She sighs, sounding defeated but even then she refuses to succumb to negativity, “Don’t give me that look, okay? It’s fine, and this will be temporary, I promise.”

 

“Alright.” Woojin mutters, before retreating upstairs, examining both of the rooms before deciding on the one with the bigger window. Surprisingly, it's one of the nicer rooms of the house, and he’s thankful that at least he won’t have to deal with dreading even his own room. The dim autumn light filters in through white curtains, hitting the soft beige walls. There’s a small walk-in closet opposite of the door, and a rickety bed that he’s thankful he doesn’t have to use, since he had brought his own mattress. He doesn’t think he could sleep comfortably on the old, stained mattress knowing It was used by who knows else stayed here. For some reason his mind keeps screaming _Zombies_.

 

Woojin saunters further into the room and takes a seat at the bay window to rest. When he looks outside his window, the view instantly reminds him of how grimy this place actually is. All he sees is mud, the unclear misty air, and more mud. And then Woojin is striding out of his house, ducking under the barren trees with low hanging branches and over giant rocks and water puddles inspect the seemingly deserted place himself. He walks and walks until he reaches a pond.

 

He stuffs his hands into his pockets, surveying the area. There’s a garden beside the pond, surrounded by stone structures almost completely shielded with moss. Frayed trees surround the small body of water, and he spots a seemingly useless and asymmetrical wooden archway on the other side of it.

 

Woojin has always wanted to be adventurous, he just hadn’t known where to start, especially in a small town like this. But somehow, this small area seems to be oozing with hidden mysteries. Woojin picks up a fallen branch next to his feet, dragging it across the gravel as he continues to circle the water. Then notices something floating in the middle of the pond atop a lily pad—it’s small and he can’t construe the item from where he is, so he reaches the branch out in an attempt to pull the lily pad towards him. It’s still too far and his arms can’t reach, so he uses the stick to produce small waves, slowly pushing the lily pad with the light sweeping of the water to the other end of the pond. It almost reaches and he’s about to pull back to walk to the other side when he feels something clawing at his leg. “Ow! What the hell!”

 

He looks down and spots a black cat, pressing its paws into his calves.

 

“What are you doing here?” A voice rings out behind him, causing him to jump into some sort of martial arts defense position and he backs up, almost falling into the water. He manages to catch himself before falling into it completely but now he’s soaked all the way up until his ankles and the feeling of wet socks in water-filled shoes it’s horrendous. He looks up at the owner of the voice and sees another boy, studying him curiously.

 

“Jesus!” Woojin jumps out of the water, kicking his feet as if that would help them dry but he already knows they're far past salvation. He stands up straight with a hand clutching at his chest, exhaling heavily. His expression then hardens, glaring at the culprit of his now ruined shoes—he’s just thankful they weren’t his good ones.  “You couldn’t have tried to make your presence known in a _less_ creepy way?”

 

The boy shrugs, and it’s only now that Woojin realizes his hair is a soft pastel pinkish purple color. It’s a shade he’s never seen on a person before and it’s a little baffling. ‘Not sure how else I’d be able to get your attention.”

 

The cat moves to curl around the boy’s leg and Woojin eyes the creature warily, “This thing is yours?”

 

“He’s not a thing, he’s a cat. And no he’s not mine, he’s a stray. But I’ve been feeding him for the past month, when my grandma isn’t looking, of course. She doesn’t allow pets in the apartments.” The boy explains, bending down to feed the cat.

 

“Grandma? Are you by any chance family of the lady who owns these units?” Woojin grasps eventually, realizing that there was only one other house in the small, isolated area besides his, and the people who lived in the basement and the attic of his house didn’t have any kids.

 

‘Yup.” The boy acknowledges, pointing at the blue house behind them. “I live over there with my grandma, I’m Daehwi.” Daehwi eyes roam him over and he has this look akin to amusement in his eyes—it irks him. “And you’re a mess.”

 

Woojin scowls, “At least I’m not a creepy stalker. And who’s fault is this anyways?”

 

“I didn’t tell you to react like that.” Daehwi says pointedly, and his innocent smile is probably the most deceptive thing Woojin has ever seen. Then, a woman’s voice is heard from behind them, seeming to be calling Daehwi’s name.

 

“is that the devil summoning one of their servants?” Woojin asks bitingly, but Daehwi just scoffs.

 

The pink-haired boy moves to pick up his bike, “It was nice to meet you, chaos.”

 

“It’s Woojin! And it wasn’t _that_ great!” He calls out after him angrily, fuming even more when the boy just waves a dismissive hand, not even glancing back. Woojin kicks at a stone bitterly, having completely forgotten about the item on the lily pad as he heads back to his house, “Stupid pink hair.”

 

 

 

When Woojin enters his house again, his mom is in the kitchen preparing lunch. Out of all rooms in the house, Woojin wishes the kitchen would at least be tolerable to look at, since it’s the place he has to eat his meals in. But everything looks so crumbled and deformed, walls blemished with bent nails and tattered wallpaper. The counters are an ugly shade of green and Woojin wonders who even designed this house because the mismatched colors are throwing him off. Baby pink and vomit green? It’s appalling.

 

To make matters worse, the bathroom is dingy and all that comes out of the shower head is cold water. Woojin doesn’t know how he’ll survive. He heads back up into his room to unpack his belongings, hanging his sweaters in his closet and folding his shirts neatly into the dresser. His own mattress is already set up, replacing the old, stained one. The bookshelf is lined with all of his novels, and the wall is scattered with his superhero posters. He sets up his various pictures frames, a bunch with Youngmin and Donghyun, and one of him and his parents, and Hyunwoo.

 

For a while, he continues to stare wistfully at the picture of his family. It hasn’t been long since he lost his older brother, but somehow he feels like he’s been gone from his life for a lot more than two years. And even until now, it’s so surreal. Woojin had found himself running towards his brother’s room one too many times at his old house, only to find it empty. It would always be empty. And in this new house, there would be no room for him at all; there’s no place that Woojin can visit when he wants to remember him—wants to be able to feel his presence or remember his scent. There’s no room in this house for Hyunwoo, and maybe that’s the most disappointing part of it all.

 

After he’s done packing he sits on the edge of his bed for a while, staring at his old laptop perched on his desk, contemplating continuing his story. Then he decides against it, having lost inspiration just from looking at the run-down place.

 

His mother calls him for dinner, and to no surprise is the usual rice with sausage and fried eggs. He learns to expect it because their dinners alternate with this and spicy pork stew every day, with their lunches being half-hearted ham and cheese sandwiches. Woojin doesn’t want to be unthankful or demanding, but sometimes is the same old same old gets old after so many years, and it’s not just the food. His wardrobe has hardly ever seen a change; he swears he’s been wearing the same shirts since the beginning of middle school. Senior year is about to start and all he wants is a little reinvention. He’s starting to think that even his friends are getting a little tired of him. They always hang out, but so often Woojin isn’t able to do much in the arcade without money and he’s tired of letting Youngmin and Donghyun constantly treat him for coffee and food, even sharing their tokens with him when he runs out quicker than the rest. He feels pathetic.

 

Dinner is silent, much like every other time of day in this house. His parents are busy working away as usual and all his only current options of pass time are rereading all of the books on his shelf or counting the number of nails sticking out of every wall in the house. In the end, he opts for just sleeping, and hoping that maybe tomorrow will be better.

 

But sleep is hard when you’re in an unfamiliar place, and the night is complete with unusual sounds that he normally doesn’t hear outside his bedroom window. At one point during the night he thinks he hears a scratching against his window. He doesn’t get the eight hours of sleep he needs to uphold a chipper attitude to contrast the lifelessness of the house, so in the morning he’s able to blend in perfectly.

 

In the morning he spots a package on the stairs of his house, with his name written in the middle.

 

_Hey Woojin!_

_Look familiar?_  
_My grandma found it in a box_  
_and told me to give it to you._

_Daehwi_

 

 

Woojin doesn’t think this small part of town could get any weirder but as he’s staring at a doll that looks exactly like him—minus the button eyes—he realizes he really needs to stop underestimating everything. What’s even creepier is that it’s wearing the exact same outfit he had been wearing yesterday. Who even made this thing? He begins to think that Daehwi might be a lot more peculiar than he thought he was, maybe it’s a better idea to stay away from the kid.

 

“Mom, this is weird right?” He holds up the doll to show her, but she doesn’t even spare a glance his way, continuing to type away at her laptop.

 

“Sure is, honey.”

 

“You didn’t even look.”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

Woojin sighs, deciding he wasn’t going to get in any interactions today, so he retreats back to his bedroom and plops onto his bed, throwing the doll to the side, in the corner where his lamp is stood. If there’s one thing he knows, is that he’s way too old for things like _that_. He’s a senior in high school, for crying out loud. Did Daehwi tells his grandma that he was a kid? Is that why she made it for him? And how would she even know what he looks like?

 

It’s all too confusing for him; really, nothing seems to make sense after he moved into this tattered place.

 

Woojin decides to head back to the pond in the afternoon, unconsciously letting the doll hang from his left hand and he strides towards the bench to sit on it. He places the doll in his lap and examines it further. Why did Daehwi’s grandma sew in button eyes instead of actual eyes? Surely she had noticed how creepy it was. Woojin gets uncomfortable look at it for too long so he places it on his side, sighing as he sits wordlessly under the grey, gloomy sky.

 

He missed his old house, where the flood boards didn’t creak ridiculously loud with every step he took, where Youngmin and Donghyun lived so closed to him, and where he basically grew up all of his life. Woojin doesn’t like change, doesn’t want to have to start all over. And sure, his parents agreed that they’d be willing to drive the extra minutes to keep him at his high school—it would be a nightmare to have to move months into his senior year—but even so, he knows that things aren’t going to be the same. It’s gonna be harder to meet up with Youngmin and Donghyun, and that, ultimately, leaves him with no one to hang out with.

 

His thoughts are disturbed and his head turns to snaps around when he hears the sound of leaves crunching. “Boo!”

 

And even though Woojin should have known better than to be unprepared for Daehwi to sneak up on him _again_ , he’s still jumping up and jerking away from him, his insides twisted into knots.

 

“Ha! Got you again. You should really starting becoming more aware of your surroundings.” Daehwi teases, and Woojin recovers quickly, with clenched fists and a stern glare. “God, will you stop doing that? How old are you, even? Five?”

 

Daehwi crosses his arms, “I’m seventeen, for your information. And turning eighteen at the beginning of next year so no, to answer the question in your head I am not a kid.”

 

Woojin is taken aback at first when he realizes the boy in front of him is only a year younger than him. But that couldn’t be, he looked so young, and acted even younger. “You’re kidding, right?”

 

The pink-haired boy lifts an eyebrow, “Are you gonna ask me for my id?”

 

Woojin huffs, plopping back down onto the bench. “You’re real infuriating, you know that?”

 

“Of course.” He admits, a little too contemptuously, “It’s what I live for.”

 

“You live for being a nuisance?”

 

“Aren’t you a stick in the mud.” Daehwi chaffs, picking up a stick lying on the ground and throwing it at the muddy ground in front of them. “Oh look, Woojin doll number three.”

 

Woojin rolls his eyes, miffed. “You know at first sight one might think you were loveable, but I feel bad for whoever you’ve deceived over the years.”

 

To his surprise, Daehwi laughs, “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

 

“I didn’t mean it as one.”

 

“Well it sure sounded like it.” The younger boy smirks, and Woojin wishes that he’d finally lose interest in tormenting him and just walk away. “I see you’re playing with the doll.”

 

Woojin glares at the doll beside him, belatedly regretting bringing it with him. “I’m not playing with it. I was just gonna leave it here.”

 

Daehwi purses his lips in mock-consideration, “Oh, I see. You’re not just enjoying the afternoon sun with him after all.”

 

Woojin makes a face, “It’s cloudy.”

 

“Exactly, and you’re a liar.” Daehwi retorts airily. Woojin wonders just how stubborn one small person can be, but it seems that Daehwi is a whole myriad of things packed into one seventeen-year old.

 

“Who even made this anyways?” Woojin holds the doll by its left leg out to display it to Daehwi. “It’s kind of creepy that you have this, you know. Maybe that's why there’s no one your age living here, you drive them all away.”

 

Daehwi’s nose scrunches up in annoyance, “I’m wonderful, thank you very much. And I don’t know where it came from. I told you, I just found it.”

 

“Somehow, I don’t find that completely believable.” Woojin replies dubiously.

 

“And why is that?”

 

“You just peg me as some sort of crooked manipulator.” He argues, but he’s never been great at debates.

 

Daehwi snorts, “You’re horrible at reasoning you know. And you don’t know me so I don’t think you’re in the position to be saying that.”

 

“And what makes you think you’re so good at reading people?” Woojin challenges, standing up from his seat on the bench and moving to stand in front of Daehwi. He’d like to think he’s intimidating but Daehwi is hardly fazed.

 

“You’re extremely transparent. You like to pretend to be someone you’re not to get people to like you because you’re ashamed of the real you.” Woojin wants more than anything to wipe the presumptuous smirk off of Daehwi’s face. How dare he say that, when he doesn’t even know him. He’s perfectly honestly with himself, and he’s never had to try to become anyone else just to get people to like him, he did fine making friends on his own. What would he even have to be ashamed of? It’s not like Daehwi even knew a single fact about him, so his assumptions were utter bullshit.

 

“Don’t act like you know me. We’re not friends and we never will be, so get your nose out of my business.” Woojin spits out indignantly, pushing down the sinking feeling in his stomach when he sees Daehwi flinch and grabbing at the doll before stomping away from the pink-haired boy.

 

 

+

 

 

Woojin finally finishes the last of his unpacking, folding all of the boxes and stuffing it into the back corner of his closet. What he doesn’t expect to see, however, is some weird outline of a small door in the back wall. It almost blends with the dull beige of the wall that he almost doesn’t notice it. This, of course, piques his curiosity. He tiptoes down the stairs and into the kitchen (though this action is seemingly useless as the house creaked no matter how lightly he walked) where his mother is doing her work, as usual. He inches towards the drawers and rambles quietly through them, eventually finding one where the keys were kept. In the sea of gold and silver keys, he spots an unusually shaped black one, and figures that it might be the one.

 

Woojin heads back up into his bedroom and into the closet, bending down to trace the lines of the door with his fingers, just to make sure they weren’t just drawn on. He feels the dent in the wall in between the cracks of the door and realizes that it’s real. Grabbing the key from out of his pocket, he twists it slowly.

 

“Woojin!” He hears his dad call out from the hallway, footsteps approaching quickly. He nudges the door open quickly, but his disappointment all he sees is a brick wall. Sighing, he crawls out from under his hung clothes and out of the closet, where the sight of his dad greets him. “What were you doing in the closet?”

 

“O-oh, nothing, just putting away the last of the boxes.” Woojin stammers out, but his dad doesn’t seem to catch it.

 

“Well, your mother is going grocery shopping and was wondering if you needed anything in particular?”

 

Woojin shakes his head hastily, “Nope, I don’t think so.”

 

“Alright, then. I’ll call you again when dinner is ready.” He nods, watching his dad’s back as he exits his room and lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He’s not even sure why he had suddenly felt reprehensible, it’s not like he had even found anything important. Woojin isn’t sure _what_ he had expected to be behind that door, but suffice to say, it was more than disappointing. Maybe it’s his fault for having hope that somewhere in this weird house would be an adventure.

 

 

+

 

 

Woojin still has a hard time falling asleep. All he can do is toss and turn, eyeing his window restlessly for any signs of the scratching he had heard the previous night. The most plausible culprit would have been the stray cat that kept roaming around him every time he left the house, but for some reason, he’s still nervous. He’s not usually afraid of things (save for bugs, those suckers were the devil’s own minions), but the whole ambience of the area is a little frightening, though he’s not sure why. Somehow, the gloomy skies are a lot scarier on this side of the town.

 

At first, he thinks it’s just his mind playing with him. He’s already decided that the clawing at his window is most likely the work of that stray black cat. But in the middle of the night, the clawing starts to get louder, and Woojin doesn’t want to look for fear of it being a completely different thing that he thought it was. The clawing stops, and Woojin thinks it’s finally safe to emerge from out under the covers. And then there’s a small, black shadow figure amplified by the light from the moon, crawling towards him. In the blink of an eye it hops up onto his bed and Woojin has to throw a hand over his mouth to muffle his scream. He sees the black cat perched on the edge of his bed, staring at him with its innocent blue eyes.

 

“Fuck, will you ever _stop_ scaring me half to death?” Woojin runs a hand through his messy hair distressingly, trying to figure out how he even got into his room in the first place. And then he realizes he had left his window open just a tad, but big enough for the cat to squeeze in. “Why are you even here?”

 

The cat, of course, doesn’t answer him—it just licks its paw—and then Woojin begins to question himself and why he’s even trying to talk to a cat past midnight. He watches as the black creature moves toward his closet, pawing at the door. He has no idea what the little thing wants or why he's even curious about it, but suddenly he’s on his feet and heading towards the door, opening it for him. The cat walks into the closet and to the very back, sitting in front of the door that Woojin had tried to open earlier.

‘It doesn’t open, I tried it.” Then something clicks in his head, “Wait, how do you even know about this?”

 

Even though the cat can’t answer him, the fact that the little thing is somehow aware of the presence of this door is extremely intriguing. When the cat continues to paw at it, Woojin gets up and grabs the key from his desk, bringing it back to the tiny door, twisting the key into the hole again.

 

“I’ll try it again but I’m telling you, it’s just a wall of—“ Except it isn’t. All he sees now is a swirling purple light, with no visible end but his body is telling him to explore it. “bricks.”

 

He looks towards the cat, who nudges his head towards the light, almost encouragingly. Woojin gulps nervously—even though he’s awfully curious about what could lie on the other side of the humming violet, beckoning him with its energy, somewhere in the back of his mind there’s a voice that seems to be warning him.

 

_If you go, it’ll be hard to escape._

 

After a few moments of hesitation, he lets his curiosity lead the way, pulling him towards the end of the tunnel.

 

When he exits the other side, he’s confused. Because he’s in his closet, only the room seems to be a lot bigger than he remembers it being. There are more books stacked into his bookshelf and he then realizes there are way more clothes in his closet than he even owns. He looks to the right of the closet and finds a rack filled with shoes, but he’s never seen any of them before. Further exploring, he ventures out in the hallway, wandering carefully down what now seems to be a longer staircase, that even winds. The kitchen is an even grander sight, because it’s lit with a lovely shade of dark red, that only amplifies the delicacy of the food on the large dining table. And _wow_ , has it been a while since he’s had chicken.

 

“What..” He mutters as he walks into the kitchen, looking towards the back of a woman who, when she turns around, looks exactly like his mother. But she has button eyes, just like the doll he was given earlier that day. It’s a little (very) terrifying. “M-mom?”

 

“Hello sweetie.” She greets warmly, placing what looks to be a dish of lasagna.

 

“You’re not my mother..” Woojin says apprehensively, gliding around the table slowly.

 

“Of course I am! I’m your other mother.” She says with a light tone, “Would you call your other father please? Tell him that dinner is ready. He’s in his study.”

 

For a while, Woojin just stands there, unable to take in everything in front of him. “What are you waiting for dear? The food is gonna get cold! I know you love my lasagna so hurry down so you can eat it!”

 

He’s definitely never heard this light of a tone from his mother before, and she doesn’t even make lasagna. There is so much that he doesn’t understand but his feet move towards his father’s study anyway, knocking at the door lightly to find him sitting at a desk, reading a book. This isn’t what his study usually looks like, Woojin thinks. The entire room is garnished with books on mahogany bookshelves, it’s quite a lovely sight. But his father never has time to read, he’s always working away at his computer and sorting papers. “Uh, dad?”

 

His father looks up at him, complete with the same button eyes and with a smile, says, “Oh hey, bud! Whatya doing in here?”

 

“Um, m..om? Said to tell you that dinner is ready.” Woojin states, before asking, “But why aren’t you doing your work? Aren’t you supposed to be organizing files right now?”

 

“What are you talking about, son? I just published my book a few months ago and I’m taking a break from writing in the meantime.”

 

“I—you published a book?”

 

His father laughs heartily, “Funny, kid. I know you love writing too, but trust me, I’m not your competition! You don’t have to hurt my pride that badly.” He says jokingly, a wounded hand above his heart.

 

“R-right.”

 

Woojin eats dinner with his parents-who-arent-really-his-parents-but-look-insanely-like-them. He hasn’t a clue what’s going on and why everything seems to be the same, yet so different. He’s in the same house, albeit bigger, and this is his family, just with buttons for eyes. How is any of it even possible? Maybe he’s just having a really vivid dream. All he knows that he hasn’t had a meal _this_ good in such a long time, not even in his dreams.

 

And when he’s back in his room, it suddenly feels safer. He’s not sure how time works in this world but he gets ready for bed the second time that night, curling up in his blankets and reading a book that he doesn't have back in his other home.

 

There’s a knocking at his door, and a familiar voice that’s calling his name and Woojin is frozen struck. When he turns to the doorframe slowly, the last thing he expects to see is his deceased older brother, although not deceased anymore (is he a ghost or is he real?) standing in front of him. Woojin can’t even keep his composure or his judgment; he jumps out of bed and into Hyunwoo’s arms, reveling in the warmth of his laugh that he’s missed so much.

 

“H-Hyunwoo, how..?” He’s still unable to form coherent sentences, the shock is still paralyzing his mind.

 

He sees his parents standing behind them in the doorway, smiling at them. “Everything is better here, Woojin. Hyunwoo’s here, we’re here, and everything is wonderful here.”

 

“I can’t believe you’re here.” Woojin whispers disbelievingly, and Hyunwoo flashes him that toothy smile that he hasn’t seen in _such_ a long time. The atmosphere is warmer in this house—and even though it seems to be the same house, he’s happier, and it actually feels like home.

 

“I’m here, Woojin. As long as you come to this world, I’m here.” Everything feels so perfect here and it seems too good to be true. Woojin didn't think he deserved this kind of happiness, did he?

 

He doesn’t want to leave Hyunwoo but his other family tells him to go to sleep, tucking him in and saying goodnight. He’s not sure if he’ll be back in the real world when he wakes up but he hopes he can come here again.

 

 

+

 

 

 

Woojin wakes up in his dingy bedroom the next morning, he can tell by the empty top row of the bookshelf, where a whole set of new books had been placed in the other world. He’s a little disappointed, because he doesn’t get to wake up and greet Hyunwoo, and he won’t be able to have a breakfast other than his oats. He has to go back to his boring old life, where no one pays attention to him and all he ever receives is pity.

 

Daehwi catches up to him on his way into the town, sticking to his side like a piece of gum. Woojin doesn’t remember inviting him but he figures the kid made his owns rules and wouldn’t have listened to him if he told him to bug off anyways (he already tried, three times.)

 

“So, where are we going?” Daehwi chirps, and he’s doing more of a skip than a walk. Woojin wonders how he’s able to be so happy in the cold, early winter breeze.

 

“Who said you’re allowed to come?” Woojin shoves his hands into the pockets of his jacket, burying his face further into the collar.

 

“I did.” He informs him easily. It’s a wonder how one could be this shameless in butting in to someone else’s business.

 

“And what if I don’t want you there?”

 

Daehwi gasps when they turn the corner, where there are busy streets and shops all along the sidewalk. He looks like a kid going to the carnival for the first time. “Wow, I’ve never gone into town before.”

 

Woojin quirks a doubtful eyebrow, “What? Are you serious?”

 

The pink-haired boy nods excitedly, scanning all of the stores and Woojin doesn’t know why he instinctively walks quicker to match is pace. “Yeah. My grandma never let me past the garden, she thinks it’s dangerous for me to be here. It’s like a twenty-minute walk but I guess it’s too far out of her sight.”

 

“Why would it be dangerous?” Woojin asks out of sheer curiosity. The one things Woojin is sure of is that the town seems a hell of a lot safer than the eerie vibe their little area gives off.

 

Daehwi shrugs, “She lost her sister a long time ago. She went missing as a kid so up until now, she’s been worried about me just like she used to worry about my mom. She’s afraid I’ll disappear one day.”

 

Woojin almost stops in his tracks, “Wait, so how are you here right now?” The look he’s sporting is obvious that he’s worried they’ll get caught and he’ll have to take the blame for it.

 

“She leaves every Friday for a few hours, doesn't tell me where but tells me to stay in the house. And I usually do. Except for today, of course, because I have you to guide me. And don’t worry, she won’t find out.”

 

Woojin relaxes, though he’s still not thrilled at the idea of having to deal with Daehwi for the rest of the day. In spite of his petulance, he still ends up holding a conversation. “So how do you go to school?”

 

“I’m homeschooled.” He explains, the enthusiasm in his voice having faded. “I’d love to go to an actual school though. It’s gets lonely at home, everyone who lives there are either seniors or engaged couples. None of them have kids—well, not until you.”

 

Woojin softens at that. No matter how annoying the kid is, he can’t even imagine how hard it is to have been so isolated all of your life. With a sigh and hope that he won’t regret it, he suggests, “I could introduce you to some of my friends? If you want. We hang out at an arcade just down this street every Friday. Tuesdays if we’re free.”

 

Daehwi lights up almost instantly, it’s kind of cute. “Really? You would do that?”

 

“I mean, I guess, since you’re here anyways.”

 

Daehwi squeals excitedly, grabbing onto Woojin’s arm and linking it with his, dragging him further down the sidewalk. “Let’s go!”

 

When the reach the front of the arcade, Daehwi is suddenly nervous. “Um, wait. I don’t know what to say? Or do? Like, I’ve never really made friends, besides the people who live in your apartment. But they’re not our age or even your age so I’m not really sure how to make friends with your people. They’re your age, right?”

 

“Maybe you should breathe every few words.” Woojin suggests when the younger looks like he’s about to pass out from both anxiousness and lack of oxygen from talking too much and too fast. “And they’re actually a year older than me, but I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

 

“Fine? I’ve never spoken to other teenagers before! I don’t know what to do!” The younger is bouncing back and forth on his toes, grabbing at Woojin’s sleeve fearfully.

 

Woojin sighs, placing a comforting hand on top of his. “I’ll help you if you get stuck. And they’re nice people, don’t worry about it.”

 

He finally manages to coax Daehwi into stepping into the building and out of the cold wind. He heads towards a table where he sees Youngmin and Donghyun sitting at. Youngmin spots him and waves, “Hey.”

 

Daehwi is almost fully hidden behind him, grabbing onto the back of his jacket tightly. “Daehwi, you’re gonna scare them if you pop up out of nowhere when we reach them so will you stop hiding?”

 

Woojin has to physically remove Daehwi’s hands from his jacket and bring him to his side. Donghyun looks them over with a friendly smile. “Who’s this?”

 

“This is Daehwi, he’s my neighbor.” Daehwi waves shyly, still pressed against Woojin’s side. Woojin can tell what the mischievous look in both of their eyes mean as they study them. He wants to tell them that it’s not going to be like that, but he’d look like terrible liar if he had said that all while having to take care of the nervous Daehwi, who probably won’t even let go of his arm for the rest of the day.

 

“It’s nice to meet you Daehwi, I’m Donghyun.” Donghyun smiles at him warmly.

 

“Youngmin.” The other waves, and Woojin can feel the tension slightly relieve from Daehwi’s body.

 

‘Let’s play!” Woojin shouts, and the group gets up, heading towards the machines. He turns to Daehwi who seems a little more relaxed now, “Do you have any money?”

 

“Um, no..” He scratches the back of his neck sheepishly, “Grandma doesn’t think there’s a need to give me any. I don’t go out anyways.”

 

Woojin purses his lips, “Right.”

 

“But it’s okay I don't have to play I’ll just watch!” Daehwi insists, “I’ve never even actually been to a place like this I don't know how anything works.”

 

“I’ll give you a few rounds, just watch and learn. I’m kind of a master at these things.” Woojin says haughtily, but is immediately shut down by Daehwi’s snort.

 

“Somehow, I don’t find that very believable.”

 

 

 

Woojin doesn’t know why, but it’s suddenly like the universe has decide that today is the day of all days that Woojin isn’t going to win anything in the arcade. And he is Pissed Off™ because he should be looking like an expert to Daehwi but now he just looks like he’s all talk and no action.

 

“You’re doing amazing.”

 

“Shut up.” Woojin sneers, as he rolls a ball at the lowest number for skee-ball _again_.

 

“Can I try?”

 

Woojin doesn’t see the harm in letting him do so, it’s not like he’s played it before anyways, so he couldn’t be that much different from how Woojin is today, right?

 

Wrong, So completely, utterly wrong.

 

Woojin watches on bewilderedly as Daehwi rolls his first ball and makes it into the 100 hole right away. Daehwi is clearly amused at his shock, “I’m pretty good at this, hey?”

 

“It was just a fluke.” Woojin states stubbornly, and moves to swipe his card in the machine again. “Try again.”

 

He does, and his score is even higher than his. Woojin is starting to feel like he’s been deceived. Maybe Daehwi was lying about being homeschooled and not being able to go into the town. Was the boy really just messing with him? Because Woojin doesn’t know how beginners luck works but it’s definitely not this good on people.

 

“You rigged it.” Woojin says dumbly, earning a scoff from the younger.

 

“Or maybe, you just suck.” He smiles sweetly before skipping off to find another game to play. “Woojin, let’s play this one!”

 

 

 

+

 

 

 

Woojin does end up getting Daehwi home safe and in time, thankfully. He’s also just glad that he’s home, even if its earlier than usual, because he doesn’t think he can handle any more talking or listening. Daehwi ribbing on his admittedly horrible gaming skills today had gone on for too long and he needed to get rid of him fast. It’s only nine-thirty in the evening but he’s already drained and ready to go to bed.

 

And then he remembers the door. He figures that it only works at night, though he had been too busy to try it out earlier to confirm. He takes the key hidden underneath his pillow and creeps slowly to the back of his closet, crawling through the small door and into the violet light.

 

He meets Hyunwoo again, and spends the rest of the late afternoon with him. He’s not sure about how the time difference works but he can tell that this world is at least a few hours ahead of the real one. He’s playing video games with Hyunwoo and Woojin still looks at him in astonishment that Hyunwoo has to laugh and tell him to cut it out. “Your eyes are gonna fall out if you keep staring at me like that, kid.”

 

At one point he gets a little too emotional about it and has to hold back the tears threatening to spill out. “I miss this.” He says quietly when they turn off the TV, Hyunwoo coming to sling an arm around his shoulder.

 

‘Hey, I’ll always be here, just a door away.” Hyunwoo smiles at him and Woojin has never been happier. They hear the doorbell ring downstairs. “Oh hey, there was a kid looking for you earlier.”

 

“A kid?”

 

“Yeah, he wanted to see you but you weren’t here yet so I told him to come back later. Maybe that’s him.”

 

Woojin peers out from behind the living room wall curiously. He can’t see the door from where he is so he steps into the kitchen just slightly, and spots other-world Daehwi at his front door.

 

“Oh, Woojin! Someone is here to see you!”

 

Daehwi waves at him, with his pink hair and purple button eyes, and Woojin wonders if he’s gonna pester him in this world too.

 

“Hey, Daehwi.” The boy stays silent, only smiling at him and just stands there like he’s waiting for him to do something. “Uh, you’re rather quiet in this world.”

 

“Oh, I fixed him honey, since I know that you were getting tired of listening to him talk in the real world.”

 

Woojin’s forehead creases in confusing, “Fix him? Did he lose his voice?”

 

“Oh, of course not! What kind of person do you think I am, Woojin? He’s selectively mute.”

 

“Selectively mute?”

 

“Yes.” She says with her sweet voice that’s still a little off-putting to him. “After I told him you hated it when people talked too much, he was more than willing to keep quiet for you! In fact, he's taken a liking into not speaking at all.”

 

“I didn’t hate it..” Woojin mutters under his breath, starting to feel the guilt rise in him. He’s the reason other-Daehwi is mute? Why is other-Daehwi putting up with it? The Daehwi he knows would have refused in a heartbeat, would even claim that he _enjoyed_ riling him up.

 

“What’s that, sweetie?”

 

“Nothing.” He says, wrapping an arm around Daehwi’s shoulder and leading him towards the door ‘Let’s go, Daehwi.”

 

“Oh, wait!” He hears his mother call out from behind him, she places a few bills of money in his hands. “You almost forgot allowance!”

 

“Allowance?” Woojin stares down at the money, confused. He doesn’t get allowance from his real parents.

 

“Of course, how do you think you’d be able to play at the arcade with all of your friends, silly?”

 

 

 

 

It’s not cold in this world. It seems to be a mild summer here instead of a breezy autumn that he’s used to. But he’s glad, because that means he wasn’t stupid when he decided to walk out of the house without a jacket on.

 

“So, selectively mute, huh?” Daehwi nods slowly. Woojin isn’t used to the dullness in his eyes, they were usually always lit with excitement and energy. “You know you don’t actually have to, at least not around her. I’m fine if you talk.”

 

The younger boy shakes his head, and it’s just so weird to Woojin that he’s doing all the talking. Woojin stops them and grabs Daehwi’s shoulders, turning him to face him, “I’m serious, I’m fine with it. Say a word, anything.”

 

Daehwi continues to stay quiet, only staring at him. He’s not sure what the look in his eyes mean but now Woojin doesn’t want to give up until he finally says _something_. “Come on. Here’s something you always say to me in real life; shut up.” When he doesn’t, Woojin tries to encourage him again. “Shut—“

 

Daehwi pushes his arms off of him, backing out of his grasp. Woojin is stunned for a while, and watches as the younger looks at him almost fearfully.

 

“Okay, alright. I won’t make you talk anymore.” It takes a while but Daehwi finally relaxes and they fall back into their stroll. “So, where are we going?”

 

Daehwi gestures to the gates of the enclosed area.

 

“We’re going into town? Is your grandma out?”

 

The pink-haired boy makes two ‘o’s with his fingers and takes Woojin’s hand, tugging him towards the exit.

 

They enter the arcade that they had just visited a few hours ago in the real world. Woojin spots other-Youngmin and Donghyun and wonders how different they are in this world. Everything in the arcade looks the same, but the people in it are different.

 

“Oh, hey! You’re finally here!”  Youngmin waves him over.

 

“We’re starving, you made us wait so long.” Donghyun pouts, clutching at his stomach.

 

“Why didn’t you guys eat without me?”

 

Youngmin looks at him like he’s just said a joke that he doesn’t understand, “You’re treating us today, remember?”

 

Woojin’s eyebrows draw together, usually used to being the one guiltily mooching off of his friends, “I—I’m what?”

 

“You said you’re getting your allowance today and you’d treat all of us. You can’t play dumb with us, Woojin. You know you’re the richer friend in this group, don’t rub it in our faces.” Donghyun says with a frown.

 

“Oh.” He remembers the money his other-mother had handed him before he left. “Yeah, let’s eat!”

 

Woojin loads their arcade cards and he feels like he’s just paid off his debt as a friend. Of course, the real Youngmin and Donghyun wouldn’t remember this to appreciate it, but the feeling of not being completely useless in his friend group is really rewarding. It has him wishing he was able to just stay here and become other-Woojin instead.

 

The people in the real world would hardly miss him anyways.

 

 

+

 

 

This goes on for the next month. In the day he spends it with Daehwi, and at night he eats dinner with Hyunwoo and his family, and goes out leisurely with his friends without having to worry too much about money. Sometimes he wishes that when he goes to sleep at night, he’ll wake up in the other world. He just wants a chance to spend the whole day there, hanging out with his other family for the entirety of it, because a night feels so short.

 

A few months ago, all Woojin would have wanted was to go to sleep, to end every day as quickly as he can. But now his heart sinks when the sun goes up and the moon fades into the sky. Now, he’s begun to crave the moonlight, to see it in the sky for as long as he can because when the sun rises, the rainbow is gone. And he’s left seeing dull pinks and muted greys, nothing like the amorous crimsons and tranquil ceruleans of the world beyond the door. The shock of those colors is the reason he still keeps his eyes open. Everything there is what nature’s palette should look like; he wants to be able to extract the emotions from the landscape. It’s no use trying to color the spirit with black and white.

 

Daehwi weaves himself into his daily routine in both worlds. In the day he’s at his house, exploring every corner of the apartment with him (even the basement where Minhyun and Jaehwan live when they invite them for a snack one day.) And when he’s in the other-world, he has the quiet Daehwi clinging onto him just the same, only less of a nuisance.

 

He eventually gets used to Daehwi’s hectoring, they fall into this sort of friendship where they hate each other with their words but care for each other in their actions. Donghyun is always telling them how cute they look together, and at first he would just wince at the thought, but recently he just blushes. He doesn’t really know _why_ —sure, if he ignores the fact that Daehwi is an insult spitting machine, he’s undeniably adorable. The corners of his eyes lift up when he’s amazed or excited, and he pouts when he doesn’t get what he wants and Woojin always, _always_ falls for it. So yes, he’s ridiculously cute, but that doesn’t mean Woojin has feelings for him. He just likes to make sure that he’s always comfortable and never pressured, and he wants to assure that he sleeps well at night without nightmares—sometimes he even invites him to sleepover when he’s feeling really, really generous and gives up visiting the other world for him. Sometime his other-mother gets upset when he doesn’t visit, but when Daehwi’s curling up next to him and he’s sleeping well, Woojin’s figures that it’s not that much of a loss.

 

Other-Daehwi is aloof with him the next time he visits. And even though he doesn’t normally talk anyways, Woojin still feels like he’s being given the biggest silent treatment of his life.

 

“Hey, are you mad at me?” He asks the pink-haired boy when they’re strolling through a convenience store across the arcade. The younger doesn’t even spare him a glance, just continues to stay close to Donghyun.

 

“I think he’s upset because you haven’t been here much.” Youngmin explains as he walks beside him, behind the other two.

 

Woojin frowns. He enjoys the company of both the real Daehwi and this Daehwi, it’s just that real Daehwi is, well, _real_. And he speaks to him and he’s a lot clingier and Woojin isn’t even sure why that's a bonus point. It’s not that he hates that this Daehwi is selectively mute, but sometimes it’s just really hard to communicate with him. And as much as he adores his relationship with both of his friend groups, only one of them feels like they’re going to be with him forever. And he doesn’t even want to think about how hard it would be if he were to ever lose this one. But looking at the facts, it doesn’t seem so unlikely.

 

Woojin taps on Daehwi’s shoulder. He turns around, though still looking at him with a frown. He turns to Donghyun and throws him a pointed look, “Could you give us a sec?”

 

Donghyun pats his back and walks towards Youngmin. Woojin grabs the pink-haired boy by the hand, leading him out of the store. “So, here’s the deal.” Woojin starts, fiddling with his fingers. “I’m really dumb.”

 

He looks up at other-Daehwi, who looks like he’s trying to hold back a smile.

 

“And you know that already, of course. Look I’m sorry I haven’t been here much but you know, you exist for me in the real world as well.”

 

The younger tilts his head curiously. “Except you talk to me there—not that it’s a bad thing that you don’t. You’re just as wonderful in both worlds, and I know it might not be the same to you because you don’t get to experience it but I enjoy hanging out with him—you? A lot. That’s why I haven’t been around much. But if you want me to, I’ll try to visit here more often to hang out with you.”

 

The younger bites his lip. He looks almost guilty, but Woojin’s not really sure. After a while, he nods.

 

The corners of Woojin’s mouth quirk up into a grin, “So you’re not mad at me anymore?”

 

Other-Daehwi furrows his brows in mock-contemplation, before doing a ‘so-so’ gesture with his hand.

 

“Good enough for me.”

 

And he does. Every day after school he enters the other-world quite early. It’s still dark on the other side, even though he goes there in the afternoon. But he’s just grateful that there’s no such thing as winter there because now he doesn’t have to deal with the cold.

 

Other-Daehwi seems much happier now that he’s spending a lot more time with him. He always has on this bright smile that Woojin adores, whether it’s on other-Daehwi or the real one. They spend one afternoon alone, without Youngmin and Donghyun. The end their night strolling down a softly lit up a path with lanterns and wind chimes, and other-Daehwi has an arm linked with his.

 

When they reach his house Woojin says goodnight but the younger grabs onto his hand when he turns around.

 

“ _Don’t go_.”

 

Woojin turns around immediately, with wide eyes and a slacked-jaw. Other-Daehwi has this pleading look in his eyes and Woojin can’t bear to even think about walking away. “You.. you talked.”

 

 

He stays for just a little longer.

 

 

+

 

 

 

One afternoon when he’s back in the real world, Daehwi invites him over. “You don’t come out of your house after school anymore.” Daehwi says matter-of-factly, sounding a little disappointed but maybe that’s just his ears.

 

“I’ve been busy.” He says. And it’s not a lie, because he has been busy, frequenting the other-world when he gets home from school and making it up to other-Daehwi. He didn’t think that real-Daehwi would mind as much, he always seemed to be rather bothered by his constant presence. But it’s not like he was the clingy one, so really, if Daehwi’s annoyed at him it’s basically his own fault for continuously sticking around him.

 

Daehwi frowns, “With what? You have nothing to do.” He says like it’s an obvious thing that Woojin doesn’t have a life outside of their friend group.

 

“My mom has been piling chores on me.” Woojin explains, and this time it’s a lie.

 

“Well, anyways,” Daehwi start to tells him about his dream, and the familiarity of the stories is quite uncanny to Woojin, he almost stops breathing. “It’s so weird, it felt so real, like I was actually in it. You were there and Youngmin and Donghyun were there, but the only difference was that I couldn’t speak.”

 

Woojin’s throat goes dry, and an unsettling feeling pools at the bottom of his stomach. “You—You dreamt about that?”

 

“Yeah,” Daehwi snorts. “Apparently I was selectively mute because your mother told me that you hated when people talked to much. That’s so ridiculous! I wouldn’t give my voice up for you.”

 

He doesn’t know what to think of this. Is this a joke? It couldn’t be, Daehwi knew all of the details without him even having to tell him, how else could he have known? “Do you,” Woojin gulps, unsure if what he’s about to ask him will make him sound like a lunatic, “Do you have a secret door in your house?”

 

“What?” Daehwi tilts his head in confusion and Woojin feels even worse.

 

“How—Do you actually only see those things in your dreams? When you’re asleep? You don’t.. go anywhere?”

 

“What are you talking about?” Daehwi lifts an eyebrow, “I just go to sleep and I see this stuff in my dreams. But it’s weird, I’ve even never had continuing storylines in my dreams before. These ones are always in the same place with that same people, like everyone knows what had happened previously. Is that normal?”

 

 _None of this is_ , he thinks, as he tries to deduce why Daehwi is subconsciously seeing everything that he’s been doing in the other world. Did it have something to do with the doll being in his house when he found it? Is that why he could visit the world in his dreams instead of having to go through the door? He doesn’t actually experience it, he only sees it in his dreams and retains the memories.

 

“But I have to say, you’re a real sweetheart in my dreams. Quite the opposite of the real you.” Daehwi teases but Woojin can’t even laugh. “Hey, I was kidding. You’re cool in real life too, you're just nicer in my dreams. But I like both sides of you.”

 

“Um, I have to go.” Woojin gets up hastily from Daehwi’s couch, and the younger stands up to grab at his sleeve.

 

“Where are you going?” Daehwi is looking at him with sad eyes, like he thinks he might have done something wrong and Woojin wants to tell him he’s done nothing wrong but he can’t even think properly at the moment, “Is it because I was being sentimental? Because I can just.. not. If it makes you uncomfortable—“

 

“No, it’s not that I just—“ Woojin sighs, gently removing Daehwi’s hand from his sweater. “I just need to get home, it's late.”

 

“Wait!” Daehwi stops him again, though less confident now. “Don't go.”

 

It’s like the waves come crashing down on him instantly, strong and unyielding. He stays frozen for a moment, as the words echo in his head.

 

_Don’t go._

Daehwi is opening his mouth to speak again, “I.. I mi—“

 

“Daehwi! Could you come into the kitchen! I need your help!” They hear his grandma call out to him. Daehwi sighs, dropping Woojin’s arm.

 

“Nevermind.”

 

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Woojin adds quietly, as if it could make up for the sinking feeling he had gotten when Daehwi grabbed him the first time and tried to make him stay.

 

He hears Daehwi’s soft ‘okay’ as he turns to leave and he wants nothing more than to stay and tell him about the other world and how he’s living in the dreams that Daehwi has but he’s going to sound fucking ridiculous and the last thing he needs is the frustration of having to try to convince someone of something that’s so painfully _real_ yet so inconceivable.

 

It’s sad when he thinks about it; even when he’s happy it’s still not real. It’s short-lived contentment and then he’s back to being his boring and useless self when he wakes up—an inconvenience. 

 

 

Could he ever find happiness right where he is?  

 

 

+

 

 

He sits at the dinner table with his other-mother that night, since his other-father is busy tending the garden and Hyunwoo is up to his neck in studying. He stabs at his food with his fork, and his mother notices there’s something off. “What’s wrong, sweetie? You don’t like the food?”

 

“No, it’s just.. I feel like the first time I came here, I was happy because I was getting the family attention that I couldn’t get in the real world, I had Hyunwoo, and I wasn’t a burden to my friends. But now I’m starting to feel like everything here is starting to mimic the real world and it’s almost like I have to live out the negativity twice.”

 

“You know,” she starts as she’s putting her dishes away, “You could always just stay here with us. I promise we’ll start spending more time together if you stay.”

 

“But,” He bites his lip; as much as he loves the fact that he has Hyunwoo here and that his living circumstances are a bit better, he still has a real family to get back to. And even though these people might look like his family, he knows that when he wakes up it’ll be just like a dream. And he doesn’t only want to be happy in his dreams, he wants to work until the real world is just like it. “I have a real family to go back to.”

 

“We could be your real family. Everything will be the way it should be, and you’ll always be happy.” She says, placing a box in front of him and taking his plate away. “There’s just one thing you’d have to do to stay here.”

 

When she takes off the lid, the black buttons stare back at him hauntingly, “You,” He breathes out, almost shakily, “You want to sew buttons in my eyes?”

 

“If you do, you’d be able to live here forever. With me, your father, and Hyunwoo.”

 

Woojin starts to feel dizzy; he couldn’t stay here. He had a family to go home to, he had Daehwi, Youngmin and Donghyun to see. But he doesn’t have Hyunwoo in his world, not by his side, not anymore. Is it really worth it to give this life up to be with the actual people he’s known all his life, even if it meant he could never see Hyunwoo again? He doesn’t want to think about the time he had received the phone call—not even his parents, _he_ had to pick up the phone the night his brother died. He had to find him in the hospital with a gun wound that couldn’t be saved, _he_ had to stare at the man who killed his brother in the court as he smiled wickedly, _remorseless_ at him. In this world, that story never existed. Does he really want to go back to where it does?

 

“I—um,” He gets up from his seat, slowly backing out of the kitchen, “I’ll sleep on it.”

 

Woojin rushes up to his room, jumping into bed and pulling the covers over him.

 

_Go to sleep, go to sleep, go to sleep_

 

He wakes up and expects to be back home, but when he throws the covers open, he’s still in the same room he went to sleep in. Why is he still here?

 

He looks outside and sees the moon shining in through the window. He’s sure he slept quite long enough for it to be morning—did they just not have morning in this world? It always seemed to be night here.

 

Woojin runs downstairs, but there’s no one in the house. He checks all the rooms, but they’re all empty. He runs out of the house, and finds the younger sitting on the bench by the pond.

 

“Daehwi!” The younger jumps up from his feet when he hears him, looking surprised, almost like he doesn’t expect him to be here. And he _shouldn’t_ be here, he should be at home. “I don’t know what’s happening but I went to sleep and I still woke up here. I’m not supposed to be here, Daehwi. I’m supposed to be back home! Do you know what’s happening?”

 

Other-Daehwi walks up to him slowly, his voice is soft, “She’s blocked it.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Your other-mother,” He gulps, “She must’ve blocked the door while you were asleep, that’s why you couldn’t go back.”

 

Woojin exhales heavily, “I have to get out of here.”

 

The younger fiddles with his fingers, “Move whatever is blocking it and try to leave first. I’ll try to look for the key while you’re gone, but if I can’t find it then she’s gonna bring you back here eventually. The only way you can leave is if you find the key and take it back with you. Come back tomorrow night, I’ll try to make sure I find it by then.” Other-Daehwi bites his lip, “She can see you when you’re in the other world, you know. Not all the time, but when you’re at home.”

 

“What.. do you mean?” He’s confused at first, but then realization slowly dawns on him, “The doll.”

 

Other-Daehwi nods, “She watches you through its eyes, and unless you can lock that door behind you when you leave and get rid of the key, she’ll be able to bring you back, and trap you here.”

 

“Are you gonna be okay?” He asks worriedly. As much as he wants to be free from his other-mother, he doesn’t want this Daehwi to make any sacrifices for him. The thought of having to leave him behind is heartbreaking—even if there’s a Daehwi back home, he’s grown to love both of them.

 

“Yeah. Now let’s get to your closet, I’ll be your lookout.”

 

 

 

Woojin tries to haul the heavy chair away from the door but it feels like an anvil, and it has legs like a cockroach and it’s disgusting to look at, he just wants to get it out of the way quickly if that means he doesn’t have to look at it ever again.

 

“Woojin, I think I hear footsteps.”  Daehwi warns anxiously.

 

“I’ve almost got it!” He whispers back, and he finally manages to tip it over and away from the door.

 

“Woojin, what was that?” He hears his other-mother’s chilling tone from the hallway.

 

“Hurry! Go!” Other-Daehwi urges him, holding the door to his bedroom closed.

 

‘What about you?” Woojin looks towards him guiltily, he doesn't want to leave him behind but if he doesn’t he’ll get trapped here. “She’s gonna hurt you.”

 

“I’ll be fine, just go. Please?”

 

And with his words, he enters the violet, just as his other-mother’s voice gets closer.

 

“Get back here, Park Woojin!”

 

He crawls quickly until he’s bursting out of the small door and running out of the house. He bursts into Daehwi’s room, and the other is perplexed at his exhausted state. “Whoa, why are you running?”

 

Woojin’s heaving to catch his breath, hands on his knees. He’s not sure if he should tell Daehwi but at this point he’s suffocating having no one else to talk to about this. “I—I need to tell you something.” He forces out between breaths, Daehwi stiffens visibly at that.

 

“You do?”

 

“But you have to promise me you won’t call me crazy.”

 

Daehwi gulps, but nods slowly. Woojin watches as Daehwi starts to bend at his fingers—something he does when he’s nervous. “It’s about your dreams.”

 

The younger inhales sharply as he’s mid-sentence, and then looks back up to stare at him in confusion. “My dreams? The ones I told you about?”

 

“Yeah.” He pauses for a moment, before continuing, “I—They’re real.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I live them. I live your dreams. Everything that happens in your dreams happens to me, except it’s not in my dreams, it’s in an actual alternate universe.”

 

If Daehwi could look even more confused, he does. “How..?”

 

“There’s a door in the back of my closet, when my parents aren’t around I’m able to crawl through to another dimension. And over there I have a family, I have you, Youngmin, Donghyun, I have my _brother_.”

 

“Hyunwoo.” Daehwi says softly, and Woojin nods. “I saw him in my dreams, too. I thought he only showed up because you showed me a picture of him that day.”

 

“He’s alive in that universe. And my family is happy there and I thought I was too, but now my other-mother is trying to keep me there and sew buttons into my eyes but I don’t want to be there, I want my real family and my real friends and I don’t know what to do.” He finishes exasperatedly.

 

Daehwi stays silent for a while, taking it all in, and then he shakes his head, “But how is that possible? If what you’re saying is true, then why do I have dreams about it?”

 

“I don’t know.” Woojin admits, “Maybe it’s because you found the doll of me? My other-mother watches me in this world through its eyes—“

 

“Wait, you think it started because of the doll?”

 

Woojin nods, and there’s an uneasy look on Daehwi’s face, “I didn’t tell you this.. but I found one of me too.”

 

He doesn’t expect that. Why is there a doll of Daehwi? Why would the other-mother even _need_ one?

 

“Do you,” Daehwi starts, “Do you think she tried to lure you in with the me in that universe? Like, did you happen to grow an attachment to him like you did with your brother there?”

 

Woojin swallows nervously, “Yeah, and he’s just like you. But maybe that’s because he is you, and you live as him during your dreams. I think you’re only there in your dreams because you don’t have a portal to go through, maybe there’s something about that doll that brings you there subconsciously.”

 

“We need to get rid of those.” Daehwi insists.

 

“That’s not going to end it. I need to go back and get the key, it’s the only way I can escape her. If I don’t lock it from this side and throw that key away, then she’s gonna trap me there.”

 

The younger sets his mouth in a hard line, panic crossing his features. And then he grabs Woojin’s hand and pulls him towards the door. “I’ll come with you.”

 

Woojin stops them in their tracks and turns Daehwi around to face him, “Whoa, I’m not taking you there.”

 

“Why not?” Daehwi snaps stubbornly.

 

“It’s too dangerous.” Woojin bites his lip, “I don't want anything bad to happen to you.”

 

The younger softens the slightest bit, “I can handle myself, you know that.”

 

“Daehwi, I’m going to hate myself forever if something happens to you because of me.”

 

“Hey,” Daehwi moves to cup his face in his hands, and Woojin’s never felt more vulnerable. He leans into his touch, sighing. “We’re in this together, okay? I’m not letting you go without me. And I promise you, we’ll both come back safe.”

 

“Alright, but let’s go tomorrow night. The you in that universe is trying to find the key for me.” Daehwi nods and Woojin exhales heavily, falling back onto Daehwi’s bed.

 

“Can I stay here tonight? I don’t want to be near that door.”

 

Daehwi crawls under the covers, “Sure, come here.”

 

Woojin is scared. He doesn’t have to say it out loud for Daehwi to know this. Daehwi strokes his hair comfortingly, humming a song into the top of his head. Woojin feels safe here, with Daehwi, in this world. And he doesn’t want to lose this, doesn’t want to lose the realness of it. He’s gonna do whatever it takes to find that key and stay away from that universe forever. He just hopes he can forgive himself for letting Hyunwoo go.

 

 

+

 

 

The next night, Woojin lets Daehwi pull him upstairs, into his room where he shows him the door to the other world. He’s anxious about the whole thing—what if they’re not able to find it in time? Not only would he be trapping himself, but he’d be trapping Daehwi.  “Are you sure you wanna do this?”

 

Daehwi holds out his hand for Woojin to take, “Let’s find that key.”

 

Once they’re on the other side, Daehwi is marvelling at the sight. “I can’t believe that happened. We’re actually in a different universe?”

 

“Okay, as much as I’d love to watch you get excited over this, we kind of have a key to find.” Woojin smirks when color rushes to Daehwi’s face.

 

“You couldn’t have let me have three more seconds?”

 

Woojin ignores him, grabbing his arm. “Move it.”

 

They make it out of the house quietly, successfully keeping any attention off of them. Woojin spots other-Daehwi near the garden and rushes towards him.

 

“Whoa.” Real-Daehwi scans over other-Daehwi and it’s kind of giving Woojin a big headache to see both of them in front of him, but at least he can differentiate them by the eyes. “This is the trippiest thing I have ever experienced.”

 

“Okay yeah this is weird enough to gape at I’ll give you that.” Woojin turns to other-Daehwi, “So, were you able to find the key?”

 

Other-Daehwi shakes his head dejectedly. Woojin frowns, “I thought we agreed that it was okay to talk to me?”

 

He points at the corners of his mouth, and only then does Woojin realizes the stitches. “Oh my God.” He brings a hand up to other-Daehwi’s face, “She.. she sewed your lips shut?”

 

“What?!” Real-Daehwi shrieks, “What a bitch!”

 

Woojin whips his head back at the younger, “Whoa, language!”

 

Real-Daehwi rolls his eyes, “Who cares about that, Woojin. Your other-mother is a _maniac_!”

 

Woojin sighs into his hands, “This is my fault. She probably did this to him after I left and he was trying to keep her from catching me.” He looks at other-Daehwi apologetically, “I’m sorry.”

 

Other-Daehwi returns a tender gaze, as if saying _it’s okay, I don’t regret helping you_. And he really doesn’t deserve it.

 

“So how do we find it?” Real-Daehwi asks. Other-Daehwi points towards the basement, where Minhyun and Jaehwan live. They had visited them a few times, but he’s not sure how they’d be able to help him.

 

“You want us to talk to Minhyun and Jaehwan?” Other-Daehwi nods, and hurries the both of them down the stairs. When they knock, they hear arguing behind the door.

 

“I told you, Minhyun. I like my coffee to be like my soul, black.”

 

“Just shut up and drink it, okay? Maybe the sugar will neutralize your bitterness.”

 

The door opens and they’re face to face with Minhyun, and Woojin can never quite get over how dazzling Minhyun is. “Oh, hi Woojin. And Daehwi.” Minhyun looks the other over suspiciously, “Wait, is there something different about you?”

 

Woojin chuckles awkwardly, guiding Daehwi into the room past Minhyun. “Actually, we’re here to ask for help.”

 

“Help? I’m good at that.” Jaehwan says from the kitchen, placing two glasses of water on the coffee table as Woojin and Daehwi sit down on the couch. “So what do you need?”

 

“Um,” Woojin shifts uncomfortably, not knowing how to explain his situation, “If I was trying to look for something—something small and hard to find—how should I go about in finding it?”

 

“Looking for a lost thing, huh?” Minhyun thinks for a while, and then stands up and leaves further into the house, later coming back with some sort of small, green triangular stone. “I have this, it’s good for lost things.”

 

Minhyun places it into his hands, and Woojin observes the small object. There’s a hole in the middle of it, and when he looks into it, everything turns grey. “Whoa, what is this?”

 

“If you have something specific in mind, it helps you locate it by greying everything out and coloring the object you want to find.” Jaehwan explains, “Ironically, we lost it recently. It seems our cat must have taken it and brought it somewhere. He brought it back to us in a lily pad, God knows how it ended up in the pond, he _hates_ water.”

 

It clicks right away—the stray cat he sees wandering around his house is _their_ cat, and the thing he had tried to reach for in the pond was this. But how did the cat get out of the portal in the first place? Is that why the cat had shown him the door that first night? So he could go back home?

 

Woojin thanks them and they take their leave. Once they’re outside, Daehwi is examining the triangle, “Where should we start?”

 

“I guess we can start in the garden.”

 

The garden is a lot more colorful and lively in this world than it is in the real one. It’s huge and bright, and it would almost be beautiful if Woojin didn’t have an inkling that something bad would happen soon enough. “Wow, the garden back home is so dead but this is amazing.” Daehwi saunters through the garden in awe. He reaches out a hand to touch one of the flowers, but Woojin is too late to warn him not to.

 

“Daehwi don’t touch the—“ The flower snaps out at Daehwi, grabbing at his sweater and pulling him towards the other flowers, which now have thorny stems.

 

“Woojin!” Daehwi yelps, as he tries to fight off the flower. Woojin rushes to him and draws the attention to him. He manages to pull Daehwi out of its grasp but the flower goes straight for him after, grabbing a hold of him and bringing him far off of the ground.  

 

Vines wrap around his torso, suffocating him, as the teeth of the flower gnash at him. The fright is so overwhelming that he thorns of the stem scrape at his arm when he tries to free himself. “Fuck.” Woojin hisses as the cut starts to bleed.  Daehwi throws him a pair of garden shears he finds on the ground close by.

 

“Use this!”

 

Woojin grabs hold of the shears, wriggling in the flower’s grasp and using all of his energy to cut at its stem. “Get off!” The flower shrieks, throwing him to the ground and it falls and dies off.

 

Daehwi drags Woojin away and out of the garden immediately. They both tumble out of the gates, falling back onto the grass in exhaustion. They’re panting heavily, still reeling from the shock.

 

“What the _hell_ was that?” Woojin croaks disbelievingly.

 

Daehwi sits up, moving closer towards him. “I don’t know, but you’re hurt.” He frowns as he lifts up his arm, revealing a pretty bad cut on the back of his arm.

 

“It’s okay, at least it didn’t happen to you.” Woojin huffs out tiredly. The pain in his arms hurt like a bitch, but he’s just relieved Daehwi wasn’t the one who had to go through that. Daehwi takes off the long, thin scarf around his neck and wraps it around his arm.

 

“When we get back I’m taking you to a hospital.”

 

Woojin snorts, “Daehwi, it’s fine. I have a first aid kit at home, I’m sure I can do something about it.”

 

The younger throws him a piercing glare, “It’s a really bad cut, Woojin. I’m taking you to a doctor.”

 

He sighs, reaching out for Daehwi’s hand to pull him back onto his feet. “We’ll deal with this later. But right now, we need to find that key.”

 

“I think the most plausible place to look would be in your house.” Daehwi says warily, knowing they’re bound to bump into his other-mother eventually, and neither of them know what that would mean for them.

 

But they don’t have a choice, so they’re walking through his front door, tiptoeing their way past the kitchen where Woojin assumes she’ll be. They check the living room first, Woojin searches the room with the triangle but all he sees is black and white.

 

“No luck?” Daehwi whispers and Woojin shakes his head. They survey the rooms upstairs, but still to no avail.

 

“It has to be in the kitchen.”

 

Woojin sighs, running a hand through his hair. “But that’s basically her _lair_.”

 

“There’s nowhere else.” Daehwi breathes, and Woojin can tell he’s terrified.

 

“Daehwi, you can still go home while you can—“

 

“Woojin!” Daehwi snaps at him, “I’m not leaving you here, okay! You’re too important for me to lose so to _hell_ with your worry, I’m not backing down until we escape that witch _together_.”

 

Woojin knows this isn’t the right time to be lovestruck but _God_ , he is. Daehwi is so headstrong and fierce, and Woojin wouldn’t want him to be any other way. And boy, is he glad to have him here because he’s sure as hell he’d be a goner if Daehwi wasn’t by his side tonight. And then he realizes he wants Daehwi by his side all the time.

 

When he falls out of his reverie, he notices Daehwi shifting awkwardly under his stare, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

Woojin snaps his head away, clearing his throat. “No reason, let’s go.”

 

They head towards the kitchen haltingly—thankfully, this house isn’t as creaky as it is it back home, so it’s easier for them to be quiet. Woojin surveys the parts of the kitchen he can see from where they’re standing with the triangle, and on the counter he spots a glowing red light.

 

“It’s there, I see it.” He hands Daehwi the triangle, and he confirms it too.

 

“Is she in there?”

 

“I don't know.” Woojin peers further into the kitchen surreptitiously, “It doesn’t look like anyone is in there, but where else would she be?”

 

“Look let’s just.. grab it and run.”

 

“That sounds like a horrible idea.” Woojin’s heart is racing at the mere thought of it, because he knows that somewhere in this house, his other-mother his hiding, waiting for him to show himself so she can latch onto him and keep him from leaving. It’s dangerous, but at this point, there’s really no other option, and they're running out of time. They can only hide for so long before his other-mother gives up on waiting for them and takes matters into her own hands. He knows she loves games, but she’s also extremely impatient. And if they don’t find what they need soon, then she’s going to throw this hunt away—there’s no such thing as fair play with her.

 

“I’m going for it.” Is the last thing he hears before he watches as Daehwi runs into the kitchen, towards the key.

 

“What, where are you—Jesus!” Woojin tries to grab him before he can, but Daehwi is quick on his feet, and he’s bounding to the other side of the kitchen in no time. Woojin sighs, creeping in slowly when he doesn’t see any sign of his other-mother, but in a flash she’s grabbing at Daehwi, hands wrapped tightly around his neck.

 

“Daehwi!” Woojin rushes up to the both of them, gritting his teeth. “Let him go.”

 

“Sorry, honey. I can’t do that.” If it’s possible for button eyes to go darker, they do. Her deceptively sweet smile slowly transforms into a snarl. Slowly, she transforms into almost a skeleton-like appearance—a stick thin waist and metal hands. She grows inches taller, with a hunched back and sunken cheeks. “Not until you agree to stay with me. That’s all you have to so, and I’ll let your little friend go.”

 

She tightens her grip on Daehwi’s neck, digging her fingers deeper into his skin. The younger struggles to gasp for air and Woojin is getting more and more restless. He looks around in panic for something— _anything_ — to distract her. In the window of the front door he spots a familiar figure, holding onto something black that's glowing with blue.

 

Woojin turns back to his other-mother and with a firm tone he says, “No.”

 

“No?” Her expression hardens, gritting her teeth. “You dare disobey your mother?”

 

“Your game is over. You can’t win me.”

 

She starts to laugh, and it sends chills down his spine but he keeps his composure. “And why do you think I won’t?”

 

“Because of this.” At that exact moment, the front door slams open and in runs other-Daehwi, launching the black cat at his other-mother’s face.

 

“Aah!” She screams, vision blocked by the cat and she drops Daehwi to the ground. Woojin runs to pick him up and pull him away from her.

 

“I have the key, let’s go!” Daehwi grabs onto his hand and they try to make a run for it. But other-mother is quick, and in an instant she’s following them closely up the stairs.”

 

“Come back here!” She growls, with other-Daehwi and the cat at her hindrance. The two of them try to hold her off as much as possible but she’s much too strong, hot on their tails as they make their way into Woojin’s room and into the closet. They manage to open the door but a gust of wind from the tunnel sends them back into the room, and the floor begins to fall beneath their feet.

 

As they’re falling they catching sight of the web that they’re enveloped in. Together they try to climb the rungs of the web like a ladder, amidst his other-mothers loud cackling. She jumps down into the web, chasing them from the bottom. Daehwi slips on one rung while climbing up, almost sending him falling but he catches himself.

 

“Be careful!” Woojin shouts at Daehwi, slowing down his pace to be next to him.

 

“I’m fine, just keep going!” The younger yells back. When Woojin looks down, he sees eye to eye (button?) with his other-mother and she’s seething with rage. Woojin is almost at the door and reaches for the part of the closet floor that’s still intact, pulling himself up onto it. The next thing he hears is Daehwi’s scream and Woojin looks down to see as her metal hand circles around the younger’s ankle.

 

“Fuck.” Woojin mutters under his breath. He looks around for something to fight her off with, and spots a bat in the corner of his closet that he remembers his father putting in there for _emergencies_. Grabbing it, he slings himself back over the edge and climbs down carefully, and with one hand, brings the bat down onto her head. She lets go of one of Daehwi’s ankles at the hit, shrieking with anger.

 

He swings the bat again, this time at her arm. She’s relenting for a long while, holding onto Daehwi’s ankle unwavering. “You either stay with me, or you leave this boy here!”

 

Woojin continues to swing at her, his final hit is lethal, as her grip on his leg loosens and she falls down a few rungs. Woojin grabs a hold of Daehwi’s hand quickly and heaves him up, pulling them both up onto the closet floor.

 

“Woojin! Don’t leave me!” She cries out, climbing up the web but Woojin is quick to push Daehwi forward into the violet light, crawling through as he tries to avoid her clawing hands. There’s a pounding at the door that has them wincing in surprise, “ _Come back! Don’t leave me_!”

 

A hand reaches out towards him and latches onto Woojin, dragging him further back into the tunnel.

 

“Woojin!” Daehwi screams, turning around to grab at his waist, tugging him back as hard as he can against her strength.

 

“Give him to me!” She yells, vibrating the entire tunnel.

 

“He’s not your son!” Daehwi growls. Woojin feels himself slowly slipping out of Daehwi’s grasp. And then the cat is back in the tunnel, clawing at his other-mother’s hand as Daehwi pulls hard until Woojin is out of her grasp.

 

“No!” She wails, but neither of them look back. They crawl until they’re bursting out of the door and rolling into Woojin’s living room. As soon as they fall into his living room, Woojin slams the door shut, locking it with the key and falling over with panting breaths.

 

They lay there for what seems like an eternity, but time has really never been a concept in Woojin’s life.

 

“Is it over?” Daehwi asks softly, finally finding his voice again after all of the terror.

 

“Yeah.” Woojin breathes out a sigh of relief. “Yeah, it is.”

 

They both decide it’s been quite a long day (night?) and agree that they should just both head back into their separate rooms for the night. Woojin makes sure Daehwi is okay and ignores the younger’s really, _really_ persistent urging to take him to a hospital for the cut in his arm.

 

“Hey, it’s not like I’m the only one that got hurt.” Woojin moves in closer to touch the marks she left on Daehwi’s neck, and the younger flinches.

 

Daehwi frowns, reaching up to remove Woojin’s hand from touching his cuts but doesn’t let it go when he lowers it. “The pain in my ankle is worse.”

 

Woojin snorts, and with him, Daehwi cracks a small grin. “You have to make sure to at least disinfect that, alright? I’ll tell your _real_ mother if you don’t.”

 

“Oh God, how I missed her.” Woojin whimpers at the thought of getting to see his real mother, and how he realizes how infinitely more thankful he is for her, even if she didn’t have much time for him. Because even if she was busy working, she was only doing it for their family, for _him_. And Woojin knows that he shouldn’t forget that.

 

Daehwi is still holding his hand; his touch is warm and he thinks about how well his small hand fits in his. “Are you gonna be okay?” Woojin lifts an eyebrow, unsure of what he’s referring to. “Leaving your brother like that?”

 

Hyunwoo. Of course, he would always miss him, that would never go away. Truthfully, he’s just thankful he had even one second to spend a little more time with him. It’s too late to turn back time, and opportunities like that don’t last very long. But he’s okay, because even if Hyunwoo doesn’t exist physically to him, he’s always that small voice of reason in the back of his mind, the pick-me-up he needs when things go wrong. His presence is there in so many other ways, his essence will always be with Woojin. He smiles at the younger tenderly—maybe his heart has room for two favorite people. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll do just fine.”

 

Daehwi smiles back, and then lifts Woojin’s other hand to take the key from him. “I’ll throw this where no one will be able to find it.”

 

“Good idea.”

 

Daehwi then makes a show complaining about everything he had been through in the past few hours, limbs collapsing to his sides and he leans back into the wall behind him. “God, you are a mission and a half to be with.”

 

“But you wouldn’t want to be with anyone else, right?” Daehwi scoffs at him, but Woojin can tell that he’s taken aback. Woojin steps forward, smirk growing. “Right?”

 

“N-no, I’d have a great time going on adventures with _anyone_.” Daehwi protests, arms crossing over his chest.

 

“Oh, then I guess there’s no reason for us to hang out anymore.”

 

“What?” Daehwi shrieks, probably before he can even register it. “That’s the most ridiculous rationale I’ve ever heard.”

 

“I’m just kidding.” Woojin flashes a toothy grin and Daehwi goes stiff, “You’re a _wonderful_ companion.”

 

Daehwi scrunches his nose, “You’re just saying that because I saved your ass and got hurt for you so many times.”

 

Woojin’s smile falters. It’s true, Daehwi had done so much for him on this day alone, not to mention every other day that he cares for him. What did he ever do to deserve someone so courageously selfless?

 

“Thank you, for everything you did for me back there.” He envelops the younger in a hug, nuzzling into his neck and squeezing him tightly. Daehwi says still in shock for a few moments, and then slowly relaxes into it, wrapping his arms around Woojin’s neck.

 

“You owe me literally every single coin in your piggy bank for this.”

 

Woojin chuckles, “If I had a piggy bank, I’d give you it in a heartbeat.”

 

“Is that your way of saying you have no money?”

 

“Shut up, Daehwi. You know I’m broke.” They pull away, almost wistfully. He doesn’t think he should interpret the way Daehwi lingers for a second longer after he lets go. Not until he notices the pink tinge of the top of the younger’s ears.

 

“Why are you blushing?” He asks, amused.

 

Daehwi splutters, “I am _not_ blushing.”

 

‘Yes you are.”

 

“Am not.”

 

“Are.”

 

“Not.”

 

“Are.”

 

“Will you just let it go already!” The younger fusses, covering his face with the longer sleeves of his cardigan and _dammit_ now he just looks even more adorable.

 

“Lee Daehwi,” Woojin leans in until their faces are inches apart, the corner of his mouth turning up a he asks, “Do you like me?”

 

“W-what?” Daehwi denies vehemently, and then proceeds to ramble on in rebuttal. “That’s ridiculous! That’s insane, that’s _absurd_ , that’s—“

 

“You’re not saying no.”

 

“I—“ Daehwi bites his lip, voice growing quiet. “I can’t.”

 

Woojin doesn’t say anything, he just has this goofy grin on his face and somehow it provokes Daehwi’s frustration. “Will you just let me _leave_?”

 

“Not until you _say it_.” He sings teasingly.

 

‘I’m not saying it.”

 

“Say it.”

 

“No.”

 

“Say it.”

 

“I said no.”

 

“Come on, just say you like me.”

 

Daehwi throws his hands up in exasperation, “Shut the hell up, Woojin or I’ll—“

 

“You’ll what?” Woojin is centimeters away from him again and he’s not even sure if he’s breathing this time. He’s been teasing this whole while but now that he’s stopped talking he feels the heat rush to his face and he comes to a realization all too quickly that if he continues to stay like this his heart will _definitely_ burst out of his chest.

 

What he doesn’t expect is for Daehwi to lean in and place a light peck on his lips. He’s pulling back shyly and Woojin’s cheeks are really starting to hurt with all the smiling he’s doing with this boy today.

 

“You prompted that, don’t act shocked.” Daehwi says in feigned indifference, but Woojin knows they’re both ridiculously smitten right now and they’re both not sure what to do about it.

 

Woojin pulls him in for another hug and Daehwi is quick to return it this time, burying his face into his neck and there’s just so much affection that’s overwhelming hi right now. “I’m really glad I have you in my life.”

 

Daehwi sighs contently, and in a muffled voice, replies, “I’m glad I have you too.”

 

“Please never not speak to me ever again.” He says, half-joking, half-serious.

 

Daehwi pulls back slightly to look at him with an amused face. “You really think I’d give up speaking for you? Only in your dreams, Woojin.”

 

‘Nope not in my dreams, only in yours.”

 

Daehwi stays unmoving as he looks at him, and Woojin doesn't want him to let go. “You already know I’ll be the most annoying person in your life, so don’t worry about that.”

 

“Correction.” He starts, playing with the hair at the top of Daehwi’s head, “You’ll be the most annoying _boyfriend_.”

 

Daehwi quite possibly melts into his embrace, embarrassed. “I’m—hhhh.” He pulls away awkwardly, looking down to hide the red on his face. “Well, uh, duty calls. My grandma must be waiting for me.” The younger looks back up at him warily, “You’ll be here in the morning, right?”

 

Woojin tilts his head, looks at him with quite possibly all of the adoration in him, “I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Daehwi pouts and for a second Woojin thinks he’s done something wrong. “But.. now I don’t wanna leave.”

 

He lets out a snort, “Stay the night then.”

 

Daehwi lets out a strangled sound, “You move _way_ too fast!”

 

“Wha—“ Woojin is dumbfounded, stammering, “You just said you didn’t want to leave!”

 

“I can’t believe you!” The pink-haired boy squeaks, jumping back.  

 

Woojin scoffs, still puzzled. “Well, fine! Leave then!”

 

“Fine!”

 

Woojin stomps towards the stairs but notices Daehwi following him. “You’re heading towards my room.”

 

“… I know.”

 

 

 

 

Daehwi insists he takes the floor again, despite Woojin’s protests. Woojin caves into his stubbornness and slides off of his bed and down onto the floor where Daehwi is. “What the hell are you doing, you idiot. If we're both on the floor what’s the point of this bed?”

 

“That’s why it makes sense for both of us to use it but if you’re fine on the ground—“

 

In the end, Daehwi drags him back up to the bed, where he finally relents, snuggling close to him.

 

“You know, you used to do this a few days ago. I don’t know why it’s so different now.”

 

“It’s extremely different!” Daehwi asserts, “That’s before you knew about this stupid crush. And now we both know and this is weird but it’s also nice but it’s also weird and I’m starting to get stressed out because I’m pretty freaking sure you can hear my erratic breathing right now. This is the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever experienced.”

 

“Hey.”

 

“What.”

 

“Shut up.”

 

“Fine.”

 

“…”

 

“I like you, too.”

 

“That much was obvious from the way you’ve been looking at me tonight.”

 

 

 

Woojin realizes the real world might not be everything he’s always dreamed of having. He knows he has to work for happiness, and it’s not something that’s just handed to him (in the form of a key.) He’s spent his entire life trying to look for it, but it’s always been there, in the small things. In the meals his mother cooks for him, in the books his father recommends to him, in the games his brother bought for hjm, the kindness of Youngmin, the nurturing of Donghyun, and really, just in the existence of Daehwi.

 

 

 

Daehwi is the happiness from his dream that he’s taken with him to the real world.

 

 

 

 

+

 

 

("Ow, Daehwi, my arm." Woojin winces as Daehwi hugs him a little too tightly. Daehwi jumps back immediately, apologizing.

 

"Oh my God, I totally forgot about your arm! Woojin, we have to go to a doctor."

 

Woojin scoffs, "In case you forgot, it's already past midnight and my mom is gonna wonder why we're trying to leave the house at this time. And we don't have a car, are you gonna walk me all the way to the hospital?" 

 

"It's called bringing the ambulance to you, stupid."

 

"Oh yeah your Grandma is gonna be thrilled when she's woken up by the sirens in the middle of the night, thinking it's _you_ that's hurt." 

 

Daehwi frowns and Woojin knows he's being convinced. "That's true."

 

"Come onto this side." Woojin says, shifting so that Daehwi is on his left side instead. He wraps Daehwi's arm around his torso, before wrapping his own injured one above his. "There, now you're not touching it." 

 

Daehwi nuzzles into his chest and Woojin finds serenity in his gentle, steady breaths, smiling into the soft pink locks.  "Goodnight, chaos.")

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> guys someone love chamhwi with me this tag is in DROUGHT
> 
> i usually throw in platonic!chamhwi in all of my fics but i decided to do romantic!chamhwi this time around just because i'm growing more and more fond of them ;;
> 
> as usual comment, leave kudos, follow me on twitter [@holywoojin](https://twitter.com/holywoojin)  
> and feel free to leave stuff on my [cc!](https://curiouscat.me/holywoojin)  
> btw daquad also now has a [twitter](https://twitter.com/daquadtm)  
> account and a [cc](https://curiouscat.me/daquad)  
> if you want to leave us 2park prompts!


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